Following the Money - getting rich during Sherman's March to the Sea

Confederate Digest

VERBATIM POST
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The letter below is from the Alderson, West
Virginia Statesman, dated October 29, 1883. It was authenticated and republished in the Southern Historical Society Papers in March 1884. I found a copy of this very revealing letter in the book “The Confederate Cause and Conduct in the War Between the States” by George L. Christian and Hunter McGuire, published in 1907.

Camp near Camden, S.C.,
February 26, 1865

My Dear Wife:

I have no time for particulars. We have had a glorious time in this State. Unrestricted license to burn and plunder was the order of the day. The chivalry have been stripped of most of their valuables. Gold watches, silver pitchers, cups, spoons, forks, &c., are as common in camp as blackberries.

The terms of plunder are as follows: Each company is required to exhibit the results of its operations at any given place. One-fifth and first choice falls to the share of the commander-in-chief [General Sherman] and staff; one-fifth to the corps commanders and staff; one-fifth to field officers of regiments, and two-fifths to the company. Officers are not allowed to join these expeditions unless disguised as privates. One of our corps commanders borrowed a suit of rough clothes from one of my men, and was successful in this place. He got a large quantity of silver (among other things an old milk pitcher) and a very fine gold watch from a Mrs DeSaussure, at this place (Columbia). DeSaussure is one of the F. F. V.’s of South Carolina, and was made to fork out liberally..

Officers over the rank of Captain are not made to put their plunder in the estimate for general distribution. This is very unfair, and for that reason, in order to protect themselves, subordinate officers and privates keep back every thing that they can carry about their persons, such as rings, earrings, breast pins, &c, &c. of which, if I live to get home, I have about a quart. I am not joking. I have at least a quart of jewelry for you and all the girls, and some No. 1 diamond rings and pins among them. General Sherman has silver and gold enough to start a bank. His share in gold watches alone at Columbia was two hundred and seventy-five.

But I said I could not go into particulars. All the general officers and many besides had valuables of every description, down to embroidered ladies' pocket handkerchiefs. I have my share of them, too. We took gold and silver enough from the damned rebels to have redeemed their infernal currency twice over. This, (the currency), whenever we came across it, we burned, as we considered it utterly worthless.

I wish all the jewelry this army has could be carried to the Old Bay State [Massachusetts]. It would deck her out in glorious style; but, alas! it will be scattered all over the North and Middle States.

The damned niggers, as a general thing, prefer to stay at home, particularly after they found out that we wanted only the able-bodied men, and to tell the truth, the youngest and best-looking women.

Sometimes we took off whole families and plantations of niggers, by way of repaying influential secessionists. But the useless part of these we soon managed to lose; sometimes in crossing rivers, sometimes in other ways. I shall write you again from Wilmington, Goldsboro, or some other place in North Carolina. The order to march has arrived, and I must close hurriedly.

Love to grandmother and Aunt Charlotte. Take care of yourself and children. Don't show this letter out of the family.

Your affectionate husband,
Thomas J. Myers,
Lieut. &c.

P.S. --I will send this by the first flag of truce to be mailed, unless I have an opportunity of sending it to Hilton Head. Tell Lottie I am saving a pearl bracelet and earrings for her. But Lambert got the necklace and breast pin of the same set. I am trying to trade him out of them. These were taken from the Misses Jamison, daughters of the President of the South Carolina Secession Convention. We found these on our trip through Georgia."

76-year-old Army medic on 4th tour in war zones

In Afghanistan being a doctor can be a frontline position. But even back from the fighting, men and women of the U.S. Military have tough jobs and the medical problems to match.

An experienced eye makes all the difference, and few are more experienced than Dr. John Burson, an ear, nose and throat specialist from Villa Rica, Georgia. At age 76, he may not have seen it all, but he brings a lot of history to his work at this US military clinic in Kabul.

"There not sure if I'm a father figure or a grandfather figure," Dr. Burson says. "I carry with me mostly an appreciation for the incredible sacrifice I see among the young people here. The real dedication, the love of country...it's an opportunity to come back and sort of pay back a little to your country,"

Dr. Burson is a volunteer with the Reserves. This is his 4th tour since 2005; Two in Iraq and two in Afghanistan. He joined the Army back in 1955, but never saw combat, missing Korea and Vietnam. He was out of uniform for 26 years and he says the nature of war has changed dramatically in that time - modern communications can make dealing with combat stress more difficult.

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Ron Paul: U.S. should declare 'bankruptcy'

June 28, 2011: 12:55 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- How should the United States deal with its growing debt problem? Ron Paul thinks declaring "bankruptcy" might be a good idea.

The Texas congressman and Republican presidential candidate was discussing Greece's fiscal trouble with Iowa radio host Jan Mickelson on Monday when he was asked, "If bankruptcy is the cure for Greece, is it also the cure for the United States?"

"Absolutely," Paul replied.

Of course, sovereign nations can't declare bankruptcy the same way a corporation might. Instead, the government would be unable to fulfill its obligations, and would stop making payments on its debt, resulting in a default.

Greece is currently embroiled in a debate over how to pare back its social programs and government spending to secure another bailout for paying its debts.

Paul said social programs -- medical care and other benefits -- have pushed Greece to the edge, and the United States should take note.

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Book Reviews as A Platform for Non-Historical Agenda, A Fourth of July Tale

Quantrill Reunion 1920 =================== With more than half a century across my brow I can honestly say that I am seldom surprised by man's inhumanity against other men; disappointed, disillusioned, disgusted and dismayed yes, but seldom surprised. I would like to thank Amazon.com and a couple of delusional and habitual liars who have found a way to force this old cynic to question how I could've ever been so naive to think there would be an effort to ensure the Amazon book reviews maintain some level of accuracy and integrity. I guess this is a prime example of how the assumption of innocence is the liar’s most useful tool. Instead I have observed first hand how the so-called book reviews have been the spearhead of a vile and vicious campaign to attack the credibility and veracity of the decorated veteran and award winning author, Paul R. Petersen. It began with a review in which the reviewer admitted that they had not read the book, but they were sure that Mr. Petersen had plagiarized her ex-husband because he had told her so.When my rebuttal was published requesting any specific examples and reminding her of my opinion of her husbands integrity based upon first hand knowledge, then her review suddenly disappeared. Then the story suddenly morphed and changed like a Harry Potter potion. One fanatic I'll call the Mimicking Moron or (MM) for short (who by the way has had at least two reviews under the same name at the same time despite Amazon.com's insistence that their policy that you can only write one per customer) deleted their original disjointed rambling they called a review and they posted a "new" one. The Mimicking Moron (MM) claims to be Military Historian, U.S. Army Combat Studies Institute, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The "new" review claimed Mr. Petersen "plagiarized half a dozen passages from an article written several years ago in a Civil War magazine." Despite the fact that no documentation to substantiate the claim was included, others immediately started repeating the disinformation spread the Mimicking Moron (MM) and writing negative reviews and responses to every positive review that was published. When you read them it is very clear that they didn't read the book, otherwise they wouldn't say something so stupid as claiming the book "real in depth research unsullied by sectional bias." Reviews written by people who actually read it counter by saying "He (Petersen) uses newspaper articles from Kansas papers of the day plus accounts from letters written by citizens of Lawrence to show them confessing to their guilt," and "Mr. Petersen provides 24 full pages of notes, citing his sources and 12 pages of books and articles in the book's selected bibliography. This is more than any other published author or historian has provided with a contrary perspective of Quantrill's raid on the hate filled hornets nest known as Lawrence." Thank goodness that one individual who I'll call Real Man or (RM), had the time and tenacity to respond to the "more than four-score" (80) worth of responses posted by the character assassins. This brave and determined truth seeker endured and responded to the personal attacks levied at them because they had only one goal in mind, to allow these fanatical fools being false witness enough rope so they could hang themselves. Fortunately the Mimicking Moron eventually let slip the that the passages that were plagiarized could be found: "on pages 27, 30-31 of Volume 6, issue issue number 1 of North & South 2002 magazine were quoted without proper citation on page 59 of "Quantrill in Lawrence." So the trap was sprung because little did the Mimicking Moron (MM) realize but in the digital world it is easy to find copies of published information. I invite each and every reader of this article as well as Amazon.com to review the passages in question, if you do you will find that the claims made by the Mimicking Moron (MM) have no basis in reality. Because the cruelest lies are often told in silence. Amazon.com should be ashamed for their part in this sorted tail. It is clear that they made no effort to try and verify the false accusations, in fact they approved and posted a review by someone who openly admitted they had not read the book. How is that fair to the customer let alone the author? The few individuals who support of a more even handed account of event that unfolded along the Kansas-Missouri boarder are a hearty lot, we are accustomed to being called " confederate apologists mentally deranged people who sit around in their parents' basement everyday, wearing Confederate flag boxers, collecting unemployment checks, and defending the honor of the lost cause." No matter how self righteously they proclaim the moral and ethical superiority of the North's victory because it "ended the scourge of slavery," the pro-Unionists can only do so by conveniently ignoring that this so-called moral victory was achieved via some of the most violently immoral and blatantly illegal methods available at the time. They fail to acknowledge the economic and social issues which are always among the root causes of any War. Moreover they are not content with merely committing sin by omission, no instead they insist on portraying Quantrill and his Missouri Minute Men the cause they fought for as among the most vile and deplorable in history. When in reality look at the exploits of the three major Kansans: The icon of the absolutist movement John Brown of Kansas was hung for treason, Crazy James Lane who illegally held the positions of General and United States Senator simultaneously killed himself shortly after the War ended, and Colonel Charles Jennison was convicted by an Army court of numerous crimes. In contrast Quantrill was murdered by a hired assassin after the war ended. It is a crying shame that those who try to write an more even handed account of the war along the Kansas-Missouri border are subjected to worse treatment than those who write histories from the perspective of the the Axis's powers. If you read the rants of the self loathing Jayhawk lovers they are indicative of fools who have pulled a cork one two many times or taken one two many pills, they attack those who disagree with them on a personal level, and they proclaim themselves as experts without providing any supporting documentation, and when all else fail they LIE LIKE RUGS. Amazon.com you should be ashamed that you lack of action helped impugn the reputation of a decorated veteran and award winning author, while you were trying to sell his book at the same time. Everyone who purports to be a supporter of Lost Cause needs to stop accepting the Yankee company line and get a copy of this book and read it. Anyone who purports to be a defender of free speech and personal rights needs to write Amazon.com and let them know their policies need to be changed immediately. Benjamin Franklin once said: "As we must account for every idle word, so must we account for every idle silence." Please help make those who think they can maliciously attack individuals via the internet accountable for their actions. Mr. Petersen I apologize that you are subjected to personal attacks presented under he guise of a book reports, but please don't give up the fight. The fact that the disturbed individuals are attacking you so relentlessly only proves that you are making a difference. I doubt that Amazon will publish this but it will be published in other forums. Patrick R. Marquis No Quarter Given, None Expected! Via Charlie

The Sorrowful Trek Homeward

The Hillsborough or North Carolina Military Academy

North Carolina War Between the States Sesquicentennial
www.ncwbts150.com
"The Official Website of the North Carolina WBTS Sesquicentennial Commission"
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The Sorrowful Trek Homeward:

“General [Joseph E.] Johnston broke camp near Smithfield on April 10, and on April 12 reached Raleigh. There it was learned that Lee had surrendered to Grant at Appomattox. President Davis and his cabinet had abandoned the Confederate capital at Richmond and arrived at Greensboro on April 11. While not officially advised that the Army of [Northern] Virginia was no more…[Johnston] did not surrender…until April 26. On May 2, 1865, at Bush Hill, near High Point, [nineteen year-old] Major [Walter M.] Clark and what remained of the Third Junior Reserves [North Carolina Troops] were paroled and turned their faces sorrowfully homeward.

The next day Major Clark and his faithful Neverson began their weary horseback ride one hundred and fifty miles to Ventosa [plantation on the Roanoke river]. On their way home they passed through Hillsboro and in sight of the military academy from which Little Clark had gone so ambitiously and hopefully four years before. He knew that [academy headmaster] Colonel [C.C.] Tew had been killed at Sharpsburg, but did not know until afterward that every one of his instructors in the academy had gone to the war and either had been wounded or captured. The lonely trek of these two boys, their minds numbed by harrowing memories, was enough to chill their hearts, but there was worse to come.

When home was finally reached, there was no home – nothing but the land was there, and that covered with a tangled growth of bushes and briars. The once great cultivated fields of cotton and corn were now a wilderness of weeds. The slaves were wandering aimlessly through the neighborhood, and raiding Federal soldiers had stolen the livestock. The invading armies had burned to the ground the spacious Ventosa mansion, and its beautiful gardens had disappeared. All the happy memories of Walter’s childhood here lay waste in ashes before his eyes. With an almost broken heart he turned to seek elsewhere for his father and mother, his sisters and brothers, in the hope that he would find them alive.”

(Walter Clark, Fighting Judge, Aubrey Lee Brooks, UNC Press, 1944, pp. 21-22)

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The Sorrowful Trek Homeward

Our Founding Fathers Would Not Have Recited the Pledge

Another patriotic tradition that gets a lot of attention, particularly around this time of the year, is the Pledge of Allegiance. The Pledge did not exist during our Founders' lifetimes -- something that is very clear when looking at its text. The Pledge was written over a century after America's founding in 1892.

It was also written by a socialist -- Francis Bellamy, whose original text was: "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

According to our Founders, the states are not indivisible, but very much the opposite. In fact, when ratifying the U.S. Constitution, some states, such as Virginia among others, specifically declared the right to secede from the Union should they feel it necessary just as an extra precaution to make sure that that state right was understood. Our Founders took their states rights very seriously and considered the U.S. Constitution to be a compact amongst the sovereign states so that any state could secede if it felt the federal government had become oppressive. So, if not with a pledge, how would our Founding Fathers begin meetings and celebrations? The answer: most likely with a prayer. In fact, the very first resolution brought before the First Continental Congress, and immediately passed, was the declaration that they would open every meeting with a prayer.

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Also.

Here

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Pledging Allegiance to the Omnipotent Lincolnian State

"Semi automatic machine gun."

Via Sipsey Street Irregulars

NEWARK — Nearly a month since city police began a crime abatement program, the department has seized 16 weapons, including a semi-automatic machine gun, officials said.

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A few comments below.

Semi automatic machine gun. Sort of like a giant midget I guess. LOL!!
Maybe it was in the same room as a unicorn because they both only exist in liberals no nothing about guns fantasyland.
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How can there be any guns in Newark??? The gun laws are so tight. This story must be a mistake. I would imagine when considering buying a gun, a criminal would conclude, "nah, I better not. They are illegal."
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You have got to be the most gullible, ignorant "journalist" to have ever written a story. Come on, a "semi-automatic machine gun?!?!?" Grow some integrity.
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First, the term "machine gun" is an undefined colloquialism, so, you wouldn't use it if you were a real journalist. But, just for you, it is commonly meant to mean a firearm capable of firing more than one round for each pull of the trigger. Second, a semi-automatic firearm is one which fires just one round for each pull of of the trigger. So, which is it? A fully-automatic firearm, or a semi-automatic firearm?

It's bad enough that firearms (rather than the miscreants that misuse them) are demonized. But add to the fact that we have ignorant people like you "reporting the news" about such firearms and NJ is destined to remain in the Dark Ages of "common sense gun control."

Do a little research, then think, THEN write your article. The public would benefit greatly
"Semi-automatic machine gun"?
Isn't that an oxymoron? A machine gun, by definition, cannot possibly be semi-automatic.
Sorry to nitpick, but this simply highlights how ignorant people are (especially the media) about weapons in general.

US Ignores Vet Graves in Philippines

I went there numerous times TDY from Vietnam for different schools. It looked like a golf course. Angeles City was right beside it and so was Nanette, the most beautiful girl I ever did see, at 275 Laguna Street. It's strange how you remember a specific detail like a street address from so long ago, but do not more recent ones.

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CLARK, Philippines -- Walking along the rows of tombstones here offers a glimpse of the wars America has fought and the men and women who waged them. But most of the grave markers have been half-buried for 20 years, and there is little hope that the volcanic ash obscuring names, dates and epitaphs will be cleared any time soon.

Clark Veterans Cemetery was consigned to oblivion in 1991, when Mount Pinatubo's gigantic eruption forced the U.S. to abandon the sprawling air base surrounding it. Retired U.S.Soldiers, Marines and Sailors volunteer to keep watch, relying on donations to try to maintain the grounds, but they lament that they're helplessly short on funds to fix things, and that Washington is unwilling to help.

"It's the veterans' cemetery that America forgot," Vietnam War veteran and ex-Navy officer Robert Chesko said.

As America marks Independence Day, the U.S. veterans who collect funds to care for the cemetery renewed their calls for Washington to fund and take charge of the work.

Workers at the cemetery north of Manila recently dug to fully expose a gravestone for an Army sergeant who died in World War II in the Philippines. They discovered his wife's name engraved under his and a long-hidden tribute: "Daughter, sister, wife and mother of veterans."

It's impossible to say what else remains hidden at the 17-acre (seven-hectare) cemetery.

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“What if there were no white people?”

I hope black people will learn a lesson from the earthquake that hit Haiti.
If they don’t learn anything from it, then I throw up my hands in despair and give up.

Let’s start with a few basic facts.
Until the earthquake, I never knew there was a place called Haiti. I was taught geography at school but I cannot remember a time when the mistress told us about Haiti. It must have been one of those insignificant countries that we had no reason to know about.

I was fairly good at geography because I knew which country was on which continent. I also knew many capital cities. But as for Haiti I was clueless.

Now the whole world, including myself, knows about Haiti. I heard news of the earthquake on the radio. I wondered where Haiti was and what sort of people lived there.

Finally, when I switched on the television, I was informed that Haiti is an island out in the Caribbean. Television pictures revealed a place populated by black people.

From the non-stop television coverage of the earthquake, I got to learn about the history of Haiti. It was not a good history lesson. It would seem throughout its existence Haiti has suffered a series of natural calamities. In the process it has sunk even deeper into poverty and deprivation.

Like all places populated by black people, Haiti is poor. As I watched the television images, I felt very sorry for that forsaken place. Then I was hit by a thunderbolt.

I wondered what if there were no white people. You see, when the earthquake hit Haiti somebody had to come to its assistance. There had to be a rescue effort. The Haitians who survived of course did their fair bit by digging out their families from the collapsed ramshackle buildings.

But such was the scale of the devastation and the loss of human life that a bigger effort was needed. For that sort of work, you need heavy lifting gear and other sophisticated rescue equipment. I have been following the story of the earthquake keenly. I can attest to the fact that the first people to arrive with sniffer dogs were white crews from all over the world.

The aero planes that set off carrying water and food were from white countries. Not only that, the teams of volunteer doctors that I saw on television comprised white people from across the world. As the sniffer dogs went into action, the organized rescue teams that carried the stretchers were made up of white people.

It was announced that a mobile hospital was on the way. It was coming from a white country. For all intents and purposes in the aftermath of the earthquake, Haiti was literally swarming with white people. They had all arrived to save the poor blacks. And the locals were so happy to see them. Granted there were teams from the Orient such as the Chinese and Japanese. They too had quickly left their homes and families to go and assist the stricken people of Haiti.

It is obvious to everyone that this was a devastating earthquake and the work to repair Haiti and return it to a modicum of normalcy will take many years. Somebody had to commit funds to this effort. Most of the countries that have committed funds to aid the recovery are white. In fact, it would seem the whites are running the show in Haiti.

What is my point?

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Via Ryan

Neo-cons attack Oathkeeper's Jose Guerena's defender

Image via The Arctic Patriot

Innocent Blood

Jose Guerena's Rifle and Blood
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Do not miss this video.
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"It is not an America worth defending."

"It is not an America worth defending."

I suppose that one perception exists as the prevalent mindset within the Republican Party there in Brian’s County, and that perception is characterized by a tenacious embrace of blind acceptance of any policy laid down by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, for in the minds of the committee people it would be political suicide to question “the law” in Pima County. This mindset is prevalent all across America, and we see it in some of our Counties here in Montana. The mindset assumes that Federal, State, and Local level policy be accepted as the Word of God, and the mindset does not include any capability for questioning the lawfulness of any official policy.

So the Republican Party of Pima County, Arizona, is living and breathing and seeing reality through a veil of “Party belief” which forces the committee’s allegiance to the corruption which is strangling their Party and permitting the infrastructure for a military-police-state to be brought ever closer to the beck and call of any sitting President.

Hard headed Republicans across the nation, not just in Pima County, are doing this unwittingly by refusing to admit certain unsavory truths about the nature of the Federal government and some of its effects in the governments of the several sovereign States. It is a form of willful spiritual blindness, self-administered by fearful folks who have hardened their minds because they have been too negligent about reading into the truth of 20th Century American history, too negligent to have investigated the Federal Reserve System, Inc., too negligent to have looked at the obvious influence of the CFR and ilk, too negligent to have even known how to ask such questions. They do not know any other alternative way of seeing what’s going down in America today, so they’re fore sworn to help Federal, State, and County enforcement entrench itself into their own communities.

It is unfortunate, and we must find some way to forgive that in them, for soon enough they shall see the military-police-state in the form of government soup lines, curfews, rations, government-directed work assignment and housing changes, troops at shopping malls demanding “your papers please” and worse – I’ll spare readers the more despicable aspects - and when these very hard-headed people are face to face with that much of a police-state manifestation, they’ll initially crow about those damned terrorists and especially those home-grown lone-wolf extremist anti-government terrorists who’re hiding behind every rock and bush across America (as we’re told daily by DHS and ilk), who have made all this military-police-state precautionary intrusion necessary, and they shall pronounce people like you and me and Brian Miller, who see it coming and are trying to speak out and warn our good neighbors, to be responsible for having encouraged those extremists and anti-government “threats to law enforcement” to commit so much violence that our trustworthy Government had no choice but to drop the iron net of totalitarianism upon us all, to protect us!

That is the ironic pity in this whole situation, and I note that the mainstream media/press is helping promote that sort of meme in the public mind, and government actors and Wall Street moguls rely upon the public’s reception of this hypnotic fruit of the tree of tyranny.

We know better.

Salute!

Elias

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Current Account Balance: The US is last in the world

HERE.

The Pig State

"Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed; as they are in almost every kingdom in Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword; because the whole body of the people are armed…."
-- Noah Webster, An Examination of the Leading Principles of the Federal Constitution, 1787
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The Agitator

Verbatim Post

The video below is from a Rochester, New York, neighborhood meeting in support of Emily Good, the woman arrested for videotaping a traffic stop from her front yard. So Rochester police sent four squad cars to ticket the cars of meeting attendees who parked more than 12 inches from the curb. Yes, they even brought a ruler.

That’s some staggering vindictiveness, officers.

By the way, due to a $50 million budget shortfall, the city of Rochester is considering cutting 27 full-time police positions. If the the cops in Rochester have time to carry out petty grudges against citizens who dare to show support for a woman who was illegally arrested, maybe the city ought to consider cutting 40 or 50 positions instead. They could start with the cops in this video.

(Via Boing Boing)

MORE: Local news writeup here, with the obligatory, transparently ridiculous defense from the local police union rep.

Happy Fourth of July: A Declaration of Separation

Via Western Rifle Shooters Association

Publisher’s Note: I want something a bit more definitive than independence. I grew up associating the 4th of July with freedom and liberty *and then I grew up. Not only was this the day in 1863 when the Confederacy lost both Gettysburg and Vicksburg and therefore the war but it is now associated with the celebration more so of the Constitution than the brilliant Declaration of Independence.

*Damn, if that ain't right on the money.

The DI was drafted a full generation before the political coup known as the Constitution cemented and wedded all our fates to big government. The Fourth is certainly a day to celebrate the DI but the flag waving and celebration of patriotic gore both here and abroad is, in truth, a macabre glorification and salute to Gulag State. America is no longer the land of the free and home of the brave, it is instead the land of the caged and home of the collaborator. Most Americans not only are scared witless of liberty and freedom but endlessly cheer-lead the depredations of the state on their neighbors through taxation, regulation and the maintenance of a ferocious police state.

Michael Collins had it right: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/MovieSpeeches/moviespeechmichaelcollins1.html

Truth be told, the Fourth of July has become the twisted celebration of the inmates lauding the accomplishments of their jailers. Please enjoy the Declaration of Separation. –BB

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